The Temptation of St. Anthony La Tentation de Saint Antoine, 1898, 1m10s Star Film Catalogue No. 169 In his cave, the hermit Saint Anthony prays before an effigy of the crucified Christ. A scantily-clad woman suddenly appears, and St Anthony shields his eyes from the sight of temptation. She vanishes, and he recommences reading the Bible. Two women appear either side of him, and he recoils in horror. They vanish, and he picks up a skull from the base of the cross. However, when he kisses it, it...
Topics: Gen X, Georges Méliès, Religious
Le Voyage Dans la Lun (A Trip to the Moon) by Georges Méliès (1902) George Melies's `A Trip to the Moon' welcomes a change in film making of the twentieth century. Combined with live action as well as models, the movie tells a story about astronauts who take a trip to the moon. The moon, having a human face captures the astronauts after they crash into its eye. They later escape the moon and it's moon-men and make it back to earth safely. Melies wrote, directed and starred in this movie. He...
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Topics: Gen X, Georges Méliès, Moon, Fantasy, Short
La Lune à un Mètre, 1898, 3m13s Star Film Catalogue Nos. 160-162 Director: Georges Méliès Writer: Georges Méliès (creator) Stars: Georges Méliès Country: France Release Date: 1898 (France) Also Known As: Egy méterre a Hold Filming Locations: Montreuil, Seine-Saint-Denis, France At over three minutes, The Astronomerâs Dream is three times longer than a typical early Georges Méliès' short, and has duly been given three entries in his Star Film catalogue (presumably this meant he could...
Topics: Gen X, Georges Méliès, Short Film, Silent Film, Fantasy, Science Fiction
A young woman becomes the eighth wife of the wealthy Bluebeard, whose first seven wives have died under mysterious circumstances. Director: Georges Méliès Writers: Georges Méliès (adaptation), Charles Perrault (fairy tale) Stars: Georges Méliès, Jeanne d'Alcy and Bleuette Bernon Lord Bluebeard is looking for a woman to become his eighth wife, as his first seven wives have all passed away. Many noble families bring their daughters to meet him, but none of the young women want to marry him....
Topics: Gen X, Georges Méliès, Action, Adventure, Fairy Tale, Horror
L'Homme à la tête de Caoutchouc (The Man With The Rubber Head) is a 1902 silent French fantasy film directed by Georges Méliès. It was filmed in 1901 and released in 1902. A chemist in his laboratory places upon a table his own head, alive; then fixing upon his head a rubber tube with a pair of bellows, he begins to blow with all his might. Immediately the head increases in size and continues to enlarge until it becomes truly colossal while making faces. The chemist, fearing to burst it,...
Topics: Gen X, Georges Méliès, Short Film, Silent Film, Fantasy
Le Diable Géant ou Le Miracle de la Madonne, 1901, 2m03s Star Film Catalogue Nos. 384-385 In a lavishly appointed room, a woman is serenaded by a man playing a lute while balanced on a ladder propped up just outside her window. After they clasp hands and gaze lovingly into each otherâs eyes, he descends to the ground. She crosses the room, beside herself with emotion. A devil appears in the alcove, causes bars to appear on her window, taunts her, and then performs a suggestive dance,...
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Topics: Gen X, Georges Méliès, Short Film, Silent Film, Fantasy, The Devil
Le Diable au Couvent, 1899, 3m09s Star Film Catalogue No. 185-7 In a convent, a priest adjusts the position of some chairs before departing. As soon as heâs gone, the devil (Méliès) emerges from the font, and looks around. Spotting a rope dangling from the ceiling, he tugs on it, and a bell rings. He wraps his cloak around himself and turns into a priest. Seven white-clad nuns enter and kneel on the chairs as the priest/devil mounts the pulpit. He begins preaching, and the nuns cross...
Topics: Gen X, Georges Méliès, Short Film, Silent Film, Fantasy, Horror, Comedy, The Devil in a Convent,...
Possibly the earliest film version of Cinderella, Cendrillion (1899) was landmark for Georges Méliès; it founded the techniques and tricks he would later master and become famous for, earning him the title of The Cinemagician. Director: Georges Méliès Writer: Charles Perrault (story) Stars: Barral, Bleuette Bernon and Carmely Country: France Release Date: 25 December 1899 (USA) Also Known As: Cinderella Filming Locations: Montreuil, Seine-Saint-Denis, France Runtime: about 6 min (DVD) Sound...
Topics: Gen X, Georges Méliès, Short Film, Silent Film, Fantasy, Fairy Tale
Pluto, having seen the earth, comes back home amazed at the success of that well-known dance, the "cake-walk." He has brought back with him two noted well-known dancers, who start their favorite dance amidst the flames. A queer and ugly being wishes also to join in the dance, but his limbs break away and dance far from him. All the subjects of His Majesty are seized with the irresistible mania for dancing, and start an unbridled provincial dance. At this sight Satan starts out of the...
Topics: Gen X, Georges Méliès, Short Film, Silent Film, Fantasy, Horror, Comedy, The Devil
An Egyptian prince has lost his beloved wife and he has sought a dervish who dwells at the base of the sphinx. The prince promises him a vast fortune if the dervish will only give him the opportunity of gazing once more upon the features of his wife. The dervish accepts the offer. He brings in from a neighboring tomb the receptacle containing the remains of the princess. He opens it and removes the skeleton, which he places upon the ground close beside him. Then, turning to the moon and raising...
Topics: GenX, Georges Méliès, Sphynx, Monster
A Terrible Night Une Nuit terrible, 1896, 1m08s Star Film Catalogue No. 26 A bearded man in a nightdress and nightcap extinguishes his cigarette and bedside candle and lies back in bed. A gigantic beetle climbs up the bed, skitters across his prone body and heads up the wall, covered by a curtain. He leaps up as though electrified, grabs a broom, swats the insect onto the bed, and stamps on it. He then picks up its corpse and deposits it in the chamber pot that he keeps in the cupboard by the...
Topics: Gen X, Georges Méliès, Short Film, Silent Film, Comedy
The setting of this fantastic scene represents the hall of an old chateau in which a miser has locked up seven large bags containing his wealth. Satan, who has made his way into the chateau, puts the seven bags in a strong box, and makes with his hands some cabalistic motions. The miser comes into the hall and is greatly astonished to find his fortune missing. He opens the coffer and immediately the bags leap out. He gathers them up and puts them back into the coffer. When he opens it again he...
Topics: Gen X, Georges Méliès, Fantasy, Comedy, Short
A traveler is shown to a room in an inn. After a brief dispute with the hostess and a porter, he is left to himself. But strange things begin to happen in his room, and before long he has created a disturbance that has everyone running to his room to find out what is going on. Director: Georges Méliès Release dates USA 27 June 1903 Portugal 28 November 2009 (Cinemateca Portuguesa) Also Known As (AKA) L'auberge du bon repos France (original title) The Inn Where No Man Rests USA
Topics: Gen X, Georges Méliès, Short Film, Silent Film, Fantasy, Comedy
Le Cauchemar, 1896, 1m09s Star Film Catalogue No. 82 In the grip of a nightmare, a man tosses and turns in bed. He imagines a woman sitting at the foot end, clad only in a sheet, but when he reaches out to embrace her, she turns into a blackface minstrel with a banjo, and he reacts in horror, falling back onto the bed. The minstrel leaps up onto the bed and performs a song and dance routine. Unable to stand it any longer, the man grabs him by the shoulders, only to find him turning into Pierrot...
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Topics: Gen X, Georges Méliès, Fantasy
On exiting a strange cone a young girl deploys her butterfly wings. Mr Méliès is preparing for the show. In a puff of smoke, a star in the centre of which a second young girl appears, occupies the centre of the stage. As quick as lightning and the young girl from the star is transformed into a threatening spider-woman. But Méliès is there! With a magical gunshot the sprawling creature disappears in an enormous cloud of smoke. His mastery of special effects through spectacular staging...
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Topics: Gen X, Georges Méliès, Short Film, Silent Film, Fantasy
Jeanne d’Arc, 1900, 10m19s Star Film Catalogue Nos. 264-275 Director: Georges Méliès Writers: Georges Méliès (screenplay), Georges Méliès (story) Stars: Bleuette Bernon, Georges Méliès and Jeanne d'Alcy as Jeanne d'Arc Despite being made as early as 1900, Georges Méliès’ Joan of Arc was in fact the second adaptation of the legend: Georges Hatot’s The Execution of Joan of Arc (Execution de Jeanne d’Arc) was made in 1897. The title role was played by one Mademoiselle Calvière,...
Topics: Gen X, Georges Méliès, Joan of Arc, History, Silent Film, Short, Drama, Hand-coloured
A wizard sleeps at a table in his well-appointed sitting room. From a drawer in the table, a snake appears. The snake begins a series of transformations: he becomes a jester, a spider, and a woman. Each approaches the wizard as he sleeps. Each also works its magic on a glass vial on the wizard's table. Soon the vial has grown in size and is full of a bubbling liquid. The wizard wakes, the vial explodes. Who emerges victorious from the spells and dreams? Also Known As (AKA) Alchimiste...
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Topics: Gen X, Georges Méliès, Short Film, Silent Film, Fantasy, Hand-Coloured
Two travellers are tormented by Satan from inn to inn and eventuly experience a buggy ride through the heavens courtesy of the Devil before he takes one of them down to hell and roasts him on a spit. Director: Georges Méliès Stars: Georges Méliès Country: France release Dates: France 1905 USA 1906 Shoot location: Montreuil, Seine-Saint-Denis, France Also Known As (AKA) Les quatre cents farces du diable France (original title) Az ördög 400 csapása Hungary Czterysta zartów diabelskich...
Topics: Gen X, Georges Méliès, Short Film, Silent Film, Fantasy, Horror
It is interesting that the Catholic -- but pro-Dreyfus -- Méliès would make this allegorical film about a symbolic Jew, played by Méliès himself, wandering throughout the ages, plagued for eternity by his complicity in the death of Christ. On the surface, the film isn't anti-Semitic so much as it is illustrative of a tenet in the Catholic faith going back to the Medieval period, still very much in force at the end of the 19th century. This dogma did led to widespread persecution of Jews in...
Topics: Gen X, Georges Méliès, Short Film, Silent Film, History
Conquest Of The North Pole: Scientists from all over the world are meeting to discuss the best way to reach the North Pole. Professor Maboul demonstrates for them the innovative equipment that he has designed for the purpose. When everything is ready, Maboul and several other scientists depart for the pole. Their trip will prove to be even more eventful than expected. Country: France Language: French Release Date: 1912 (France) Also Known As: À la conquête du pôle, The Conquest of the Pole...
Topics: Georges Méliès, Fantasy, Adventure, GenX
Fairyland: A Kingdom of Fairies At the royal court, a prince is presenting the princess whom he is pledged to marry, when a witch suddenly appears... Bleuette Bernon ... Aurora Georges Méliès ... Prince Bel-Azor Filming Locations: Montreuil, Seine-Saint-Denis, France Release Date: France September 1903 (Paris) UK September 1903 (London) USA 5 September 1903 Also Known As: Le royaume des fées France (original title) A tündérkirályság Hungary (imdb display title) Au royaume des fées...
Topics: Georges Méliès, Short, Fantasy, Adventure, Kingdom, Fairy Tale
1896 Georges Méliès Le Château Hanté (The Haunted Castle) the tinted version. Le Château Hanté, 1897, 0m44s Star Film Catalogue No. 96 http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1213033/ A man defies warnings from his friend and prepares to spend the light in a haunted castle. He sits nonchalantly down in a chair - which vanishes and reappears on the other side of the room, causing him to fall to the ground. He gets up, looks around indignantly, walks over to the chair, reaches out to move it back, but...
Topics: Gen X, Georges Méliès, Short Film, Silent Film, Fantasy, Horror
A man in a silk top hat stands in front of an empty aquarium. He pours water into his hat and goes fishing, hooking a small one. He becomes a hobo and catches more and more fish from the hat. Then he starts pulling out rabbits. The backdrop becomes the sea, and a mermaid appears. She flirts and beguiles us. The mermaid becomes a woman who leaves the sea and joins the magician, who becomes Neptune. Director: Georges Méliès Stars: Georges Méliès Sound Mix: Silent Color: Black and White Also...
Topics: Gen X, Georges Méliès, Short Film, Silent Film, Fantasy
The jump cut was the key element in early movie conjurer Georges Méliès bag of tricks, and as he grew more experienced in the production of films so his use of this trick grew more sophisticated. This ingenious little movie shows off Méliès' adeptness to good effect, and it's clear that a lot of imagination has been used in a simple tale. A mischievous devil appears in a hotel room and is just preparing for a snooze when a traveler enters the room. Angered by this intrusion the devil plays...
Topics: Gen X, Georges Méliès, Short Film, Silent Film, Fantasy
"A Mesmerian Experiment" was originally titled "Le Baquet de Mesmer" in French and it's another short from Georges Méliès. However, despite the title, it really has nothing to do with hypnosis (i.e., 'mesmerism'--named after the early hypnotist, Anton Mesmer). Like so many of Méliès' films, this one finds him playing the role of a magician--a common thing since in real life he was a stage magician. Here he's heavily disguised with fake hair and a HUGE beard and a period...
Topics: Gen X, Georges Méliès, Short Film, Silent Film, Fantasy
The background of this picture represents a scene along the beautiful river Seine in Paris. A gentleman enters, and taking a blackboard from the side of the picture, he draws on it a sketch of a novelist. Then, standing in the centre, he causes the living features of his sketch to appear in the place of his own, which is utterly devoid of whiskers. The change is made so mysteriously that the eye cannot notice it until one sees quite another person in the place of the first. Again another sketch...
Topics: Gen X, Georges Méliès, Short Film, Silent Film, Fantasy, Comedy
Panorama Pris d'un Train En Marche, 1898, 1m15s Star Film Catalogue No. 151 Synopsis: From the top of one of the carriages of a moving train, looking straight ahead over the roofs of the other carriages and over the steam engine pulling them, the viewer travels along a suburban Paris line, under bridges, past assorted buildings and through a station. For those tracking Georges Georges Méliès surviving films from the start, it has already become clear that for all his undoubted originality, he...
Topics: Gen X, Georges Méliès, Short Film, Silent Film, Train
A marching band appears, and the band-leader prepares to give them the music for the song he wants them to play. He has prepared a large staff above their heads, and he now creates notes by making duplicates of his own head, placing them on the staff, and completing the notes with sticks and other implements taken from the band members. When he has finished, the players attempt to perform the music that has been written in such an unusual fashion. Director: Georges Méliès Stars: Georges...
Topics: Gen X, Georges Méliès, Short Film, Silent Film, Fantasy, Music
A man enters a sub and the submarine slowly descends as the crowd watches. Then, you see what is supposed to be an underwater scene. It's done using stop-motion, real fish and painted images. It must have been pretty cool back in 1907--but it looks pretty dated today. Then, things get weird. Starfish turn into dancing girls--yes, dancing girls! Sadly, the ship scares them off! But, at least the guy in the boat gets to see some mermaids--and leaves the boat (and seems to be breathing just...
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Topics: Gen X, Georges Méliès, Adventure, Science Fiction
A boy is led into the frame by two nursemaids who give him a big ball to play with. For the remainder of the film heads appear and disappear, stage props blow up and turn into other objects or people, and finally Bob Kick disappears. Director: Georges Méliès Stars: Georges Méliès Sound Mix: Silent Color: Black and White Country: France Release Date: 21 November 1903 Also Known As (AKA) Bob Kick, l'enfant terrible France (original title) Bob Kick, the Mischievous Kid USA
Topics: Gen X, Georges Méliès, Short Film, Silent Film, Comedy
A juggler enters upon the scene, picks up a skull, throws it into the air, catches it in his hands, where it is transformed into a handkerchief. The handkerchief, after being twirled about a wand, is changed to a napkin, and afterward to a tablecloth. Out of the table cloth comes a servant. The servant brings a low table upon which the juggler throws some magic powder. The powder takes fire and blazes up into a large flame, in the midst of which appears a beautiful female. The flame dies away,...
Topics: Gen X, Georges Méliès, Short Film, Silent Film, Fantasy
Star Film 735 - 755 A street comedy of pranks and antics. Un Feu D'Artifice Improvisé France (original title) Unexpected Fireworks USA Váratlan tüzeset Hungary
Topics: Gen X, Georges Méliès, Short Film, Silent Film, Fantasy
The king of France receives a marvelous fan. The fan opens to reveal plain lace. This lace becomes pictures of women which then come to life an move in unison as their clothing changes. Director: Georges Méliès Stars: Georges Méliès Release date USA 7 May 1904 Also Known As (AKA) Le merveilleux éventail vivant France (original title) A csodálatos élő legyező Hungary Fantastyczny wachlarz Poland The Marvellous Living Fan International (English title) The Wonderful Living Fan USA
Topics: Gen X, Georges Méliès, Short Film, Silent Film, Fantasy
A dramatic short by Georges Méliès. Country: France Release Date: 26 March 1904 Runtime: 3 min Sound Mix: Silent Color: Black and White Also Known As (AKA) Un miracle sous l'inquisition France (original title) A Miracle Under the Inquisition USA
Topics: Gen X, Georges Méliès, Short Film, Silent Film, Drama
The Infernal Boiling Pot (Le Chaudron Infernal) is a 1903 silent French fantasy film directed by Georges Méliès. The film shows a green-skinned demon who places a woman and then two courtiers into a burning cauldron. He performs an incantation and three spirits suddenly appear from the flames, before dancing above his head. Frolicking in hellish joy, the demon watches as the three spirits burn up and fall to earth. Director: Georges Méliès Writer: Georges Méliès Stars: Georges Méliès...
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Topics: GenX, Georges Méliès, Hand Painted, Hell
L'Homme Orchestre, 1900, 1m21s Star Film Catalogue Nos. 262-263 In many ways a sequel to The Four Troublesome Heads (Un Homme de têtes, 1898), The One-Man Band ups the ante to a considerable degree by featuring no fewer than seven identically-dressed Georges Méliès playing musical instruments and interacting with one another in remarkably convincing synchronisation. Buster Keaton pulled off a similar trick in The Playhouse (1921) with greater technical polish, but Méliès beat him to the...
Topics: Gen X, Georges Méliès, Short Film, Silent Film, Fantasy, Music
The film begins with a grandmother reading a story to a small child before tucking him or her into bed (it's a bit difficult to tell which the tot is). No sooner has the mite fallen asleep than s/he begins dreaming of an angel standing over his/her bed and whisking him/her off to a land of giant toys. The kid wanders around for a bit before being led away by a lady who takes him/her to a jungle or forest where other young ladies dressed as butterflies dance around a bit.. - 16 August 2010 | by...
Topics: Gen X, Georges Méliès, Fantasy, Fairy Tale
In a corner of the garden we see an ornamental fountain. An old professor comes along, looking for a nice spot where he can teach his pupils. Finding the fountain to his liking he goes after his scholars. A mysterious person who has noticed the old man, by means of a balloon, a handkerchief and a coat, constructs a peculiar figure, doing a lot of tricks at the same time. The professor returns with his class and all prepare for work, when, at the sign of the juggler, the statue comes to life,...
Topics: Gen X, Georges Méliès, Short Film, Silent Film, Fantasy, Art
A wizard sleeps at a table in his well-appointed sitting room. From a drawer in the table, a snake appears. The snake begins a series of transformations: he becomes a jester, a spider, and a woman. Each approaches the wizard as he sleeps. Each also works its magic on a glass vial on the wizard's table. Soon the vial has grown in size and is full of a bubbling liquid. The wizard wakes, the vial explodes. Who emerges victorious from the spells and dreams? Also Known As (AKA) Alchimiste...
Topics: Gen X, Georges Méliès, Short Film, Silent Film, Fantasy
A Chinese conjurer stands next to a table, it becomes two tables. A fan becomes a parasol, lanterns appear and disappear. The conjurer spins the open parasol in front of himself, and a dog leaps out from behind it. The dog becomes a woman, then a second woman appears. The conjurer sits them each on a box a few feet apart: suddenly the women have changed places. The disappearing and the transfers continue in front of a simple backdrop. Director: Georges Méliès Stars: Georges Méliès Release...
Topics: Gen X, Georges Méliès, Short Film, Silent Film, Fantasy
With godly entrapment, Zeus appears on the horizon, engages Hermes as an audience, and tries to throw some thunderbolts. They fizzle. Hephaestus tries to make some repairs but succeeds only in heating the bolts and burning Zeus's hands. Zeus conjures nine muses, but do their incantations help? He dismisses them as well as a visiting Pan, and his fits of pique become counter-productive. Can he get his powers back? Country: France Release Date: 7 November 1903 (USA) Also Known As (AKA) Le...
Topics: Gen X, Georges Méliès, Short Film, Silent Film, Fantasy, Mythology
Robert Macaire et Bertrand aka Robert Macaire and Bertrand USA/UK aka Robert Macaire és Bertrand Hungary aka Robert Macaire et Bertrand, les Rois des Cambrioleurs France, proper Directed by Georges Melies Country: France 1906 Country: USA 1907 What it is: Comic slapstick chase movie Two thieves rob a bank and lead the police on a merry chase. Many of the Melies films I've covered are so full of fantastic content that I have no problem justifying my coverage of them. This one is the most...
Topics: Gen X, Georges Méliès, Short Film, Silent Film, Fantasy, Adventure
Move over, Mad Men, THIS is how you run an advertising campaign - An entire wall of posters comes to life! Director: Georges Méliès Stars: Georges Méliès Release Date: France 1906 Also Known As (AKA) Les affiches en goguette France (original title) A vidám plakátok Hungary The Hilarious Posters USA
Topics: Gen X, Georges Méliès, Short Film, Silent Film, Fantasy, Comedy
Sadly the only thing available are just a few fragments running just over a minute. Since there aren't any title cards it's going to be important for the viewer to already know the story. However, with that said, even if you do know the story then it might be hard to pick up on what's actually going on. The first scene has Crusoe fighting off some men coming after him. The second scene has him in a cottage just sitting around. I'm not sure how much of this movie is missing or if it was...
Topics: Gen X, Georges Méliès, Short Film, Silent Film, Fantasy
Escamotage d’une dame chez Robert-Houdin, 1896, 1m15s Star Film Catalogue No. 70 Director: Georges Méliès Stars: Jeanne d'Alcy (Woman) and Georges Georges Méliès (Magician) Country: France Also Known As: Egy hölgy eltűnése Production Co: Théâtre Robert-Houdin Runtime: 1 min Sound Mix: Silent Color: Black and White Featured in The Magic of Méliès (1997) A magician enters a room and bows to an unseen audience. He opens the same door and invites a woman to join him. He unfolds a...
Topics: Gen X, Georges Méliès, Short Film, Silent Film, Fantasy
"The Inventor Crazybrains and his Wonderful Airship" (Le Dirigeable Fantastique ou le Cauchemar d'un Inventeur) A Jules Verne-like flying airship soars the skies with floating mermaids before out of control fireworks put an end to the crazy inventor's dreams. Unlike the Technicolor wonders that would come decades later, this Georges Méliès film from 1905 achieved its color the old-fashioned way; they were painted on the film by hand.
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Topics: Gen X, Georges Méliès, Silent Film, Short Film, Fantasy, Science Fiction
A man stands in front of a backdrop painted with a nature scene. From a fan, he conjures a costume, then a woman appears inside it. An assistant carries in a mannequin; they dress her and she suddenly comes alive. The magic continues: footmen bring in a sedan chair. He covers two seated women with scarves; when he removes the scarves, the women have traded places. The women, the magician, his assistant, and the footmen continue to appear and disappear, changing places and costumes. Then they...
Topics: Gen X, Georges Méliès, Short Film, Silent Film, Fantasy
The Dreyfus Affair (2) The Devil Island Released in 1899, that is to say only 5 years after the start of the Dreyfus affair in a political context in which France is divided into two camps, the film reconstructs openly Dreyfusard sequentially in chronological order and the facts of the time. After the military judgment, silent images show Dreyfus in jail where he is tied to his bed at night. Then we see the suicide of Colonel Henry followed the return of Dreyfus in France by a stormy night....
Topics: Gen X, Georges Méliès, L'Affaire Dreyfus, The Dreyfus Affair, Biography, Short Film, Silent Film,...
Summary: Denied a handout, a witch exacts vengeance by cursing the village well. Storyline: Townspeople are seen walking past the village well. A man and a mule [the latter obviously a person in a mule costume] stop nearby as the man prepares to get water. An old crone accosts the man and begs a hand-out, but the man indignantly refuses. As he turns back to deal with his mule, the crone reveals herself a witch and curses the well, then exits, shaking her fist. The man returns and fetches water,...
Topics: GenX, Georges Méliès, Stop Motion, Fantasy, Short
Release Date: 1899 Country: France Written and Directed by Georges Méliès AKA "Summoning the Spirits" AKA "Invoking the Spirits" Évocation Spirite is a simple trick film from Georges Méliès. In it he plays a magician who presents us with a wreath. From within this a woman's head appears. This in turn transforms into the head of the devil and then into Méliès himself. It's a basic set up and is only really a showcase for one visual bit of trickery. It's nicely done...
Topics: Gen X, Georges Méliès, Short Film, Silent Film, Fantasy
L'impressioniste Fin de Siecle, 1899, 0m57s Star Film Catalogue No. 183 A stage magician props up a female dummy on a table and lets it fall back before grabbing it and transforming it into a live ballerina. He helps her down and she performs some ballet steps before sitting in a chair. The magician places a large tube on the table and covers her with a cloth. She vanishes, and reappears inside the tube. The magician helps her down again, and picks her up in his arms. She dissolves into a...
Topics: Gen X, Georges Méliès, Short Film, Silent Film, Fantasy
The magician appears upon the stage with his assistant. Taking a handkerchief from his pocket, he causes an empty jar to suddenly appear under it. He places the empty jar upon the table and seizing his assistant by one arm, begins pumping, when lo! a stream of water emits from the mouth of the assistant and fills the dish. One by one he takes six fishes from the mouth of his assistant and places them in the dish. The assistant is then commanded to hold the jar high above his head, and...
Topics: GenX, Georges Méliès, Fantasy, Magic
On the Roof (French: Sur les Toits; Star Film Catalogue no. 100) is a 1897 French short black-and-white silent comedy film, directed by Georges Méliès, featuring the director as a bumbling policeman attempting to apprehend two criminals on the roof of an apartment building. "Every second of this," "highly successfully staged" "minute of film," according to Europa Film Treasues, "is used to construct the character's action and movements" and "made...
Topics: Gen X, Georges Méliès, Short Film, Silent Film, Comedy
A stage magician produces a dove from his sleeve, kisses it and puts it in a large wooden box that is mounted on a small table. He then throws in various items of clothing and makes a symbolic gesture. A small child emerges from the box, and the magician carries him out, placing him on a small plinth. He then produces a large axe and cuts the boy down the middle, producing two identical children. They begin to fight each other, and the magician picks one up and turns him upside down. The boy is...
Topics: Gen X, Georges Méliès, Short Film, Silent Film, Fantasy
The scene takes place in front of a barrack, where a young soldier is on duty, most laughable and comical. Country: France Release Date: 13 June 1903 (USA) Un malheur n'arrive jamais seul France (original title) Misfortune Never Comes Alone USA
Topics: Gen X, Georges Méliès, Short Film, Silent Film, Fantasy, Comedy
This is a five minute short film from Georges Méliès. Like most of his films, Méliès himself appears in the movie--as the jester. He bounces about and tries to entertain the king. However, Francois appears bored by all this. But, when the jester brings out a pretty lady (in 1907 clothing, by the way), the king takes notice! Then, the jester goes about doing the usual Méliès stuff--magic (as he was a stage magician before turning to films).Sadly, the final portion of the film is degraded...
Topics: Gen X, Georges Méliès, Comedy
The Last Cartridges: An incident of the Franco-Prussian War. It shows the bombardment of a house at Bazeille. It is the animated reproduction of de Neuville's celebrated painting. Director: Georges Méliès Country: France Release Date: 1897 (France) Release Date: 1903 (USA) Production Co: Star-Film Runtime: 1 min Sound Mix: Silent Color: Black and White
Topics: Gen X, Georges Méliès, Silent Film, Short Film, War
A combination gambling den and bawdy house is set up so that croupiers, patrons, prostitutes, and the owner can quickly change it all into a mercantile establishment when the cops stage a raid. The women become shop girls and customers, the men become clerks and shoppers. The craps table becomes a long counter. The police do raid the joint, and the nearly-instantaneous conversion into a dry goods store covers all the evidence. The police leave in dismay and disgust. But will they be back? What...
Topics: Gen X, Georges Méliès, Short Film, Silent Film, Fantasy
Star Film Catalogue No. 284 L'Artiste et le Mannequin (The Artist and the Dummy) Director: Georges Méliès Writer: Georges Méliès Country: France Release Date: April 1903 (USA) AKA: The Artist and the Dummy Sound Mix: Silent Color: Black and White A very simple gag film as a young lady substitutes herself for a dummy in order to play a practical joke on an artist, this one-minute film could have been made by almost anyone at this point of time - and it was made, in varying forms, by several...
Topics: Gen X, Georges Méliès, Short Film, Silent Film, Fantasy, Comedy
Director: Georges Méliès Stars: Georges Méliès An astronomer of age, wealth, and erudition conducts classes in his home. His students are not always respectful, and he suffers their pranks and high jinks. Then, at noon, everything darkens and the astronomer hurries upstairs to his telescope. It is an eclipse of the sun, and through his glass, he sees a female moon coming toward a masculine sun, flirting as they move closer to what becomes a consummation. The heavens erupt with showers of...
Topics: Gen X, Georges Méliès, Short Film, Silent Film, Fantasy, Drama, Romance
"How Bridget's Lover Escaped" ("Le marriage de Victoire") is a comedy from Georges Méliès. It begins with a man (I think he's a fireman) in he kitchen--making out with the cook, Bridget. When folks overhear the commotion, they enter the kitchen and the man hides. After a while, I guess he got bored and attacks them. This leads to a police chase on the rooftops of Paris. In the end, Bridget and her lover marry. Director: Georges Méliès
Topics: Gen X, Georges Méliès, Short Film, Silent Film, Comedy
Two impish clowns construct a magic lantern. They prop it up at an angle, and use it to project pictures onto a wall. When the picture show ends, they open up the lantern to reveal a group of dancing girls inside - and this is only the first of the indications that this lantern really is magical. Director: Georges Méliès Country: France Filming Locations: Montreuil, Seine-Saint-Denis, France Also Known As (AKA) La lanterne magique France (original title) A lámpa Hungary The Magic Lantern USA
Topics: Gen X, Georges Méliès, Short Film, Silent Film, Fantasy, Comedy
Star Film Catalogue no. 110 Combat Naval en Grèce (Naval Combat in Greece) Director: Georges Méliès Production Co: Star-Film Country: France Release Date: 1897 Length: 1' 6" This is a very quaint film from Georges Méliès. Seen today, you'll probably laugh at how antiquated it looks. However, keep in mind that this film is still way ahead of the norm for the era, as back in the late 1890s, most films were amazingly mundane--such as showing trains arriving at stations and people playing...
Topics: Gen X, Georges Méliès, Short Film, Silent Film, Historical
Long before Fred Astaire or Lionel Richie danced on the ceiling, there was Georges Méliès as "The Human Fly" in L'homme Mouche. 'Nuff said. L'homme Mouche, 1902, 1m46s Star Film Catalogue No. 415-416 Director: Georges Méliès Stars: Georges Méliès Country: France Sound Mix: Silent Color: Color (hand colored) Release Date: February 1903 (USA) Production Co: Star-Film Also Known As (AKA) L'homme mouche France (original title) A légy-ember Hungary The Human Fly USA
Topics: Gen X, Georges Méliès, Short Film, Silent Film, Fantasy
Douche du colonel, 1902, 0m58s Star Film Catalogue No. 391 Two men are cleaning the top of a stone archway, standing on a wooden platform. A platoon of soldiers marches under the platform and stands to attention as their colonel passes. He inspects them, and offers several criticisms. A soldier hands him some papers, and he sits down on a stool to read them. One of the workmen descends the ladder to replenish his bucket of water. When moving from the ladder to the platform, he trips and spills...
Topics: Gen X, Georges Méliès, Short Film, Silent Film, Comedy
A cook has his hands full with three mischievous devils, who pop in and out of his kitchen. Director: Georges Méliès Stars: Georges Méliès Also Known As (AKA) Sorcellerie culinaire France (original title) Culinary Sorcery International (English title) Kulináris boszorkányság Hungary The Cook in Trouble USA
Topics: Gen X, Georges Méliès, Short Film, Silent Film, Fantasy, Comedy
La Pyramide de Triboulet, 1899, 1m04s Star Film Catalogue No. 218 Georges Méliès, a magician by profession, decided to become a director following the discovery of cinematography. Following its installation at the Studio of Montreuil, his films became truly unique using the magic of trickery to make people and objects appear, disappear and reappear. This earned him the title of The Cinemagician. Director: Georges Méliès Writer: Georges Méliès Production Co: Star-Film AKA: The Pyramid of...
Topics: Gen X, Georges Méliès, Short Film, Silent Film, Fantasy
Le Savant et le chimpanzé, 1900, 1m04s Star Film Catalogue No. 317 An elderly doctor keeps a monkey in a cage. When he briefly pops out, the monkey breaks free, leaps onto a nearby table and begins to systematically wreck the doctor’s study. After overturning a cupboard, he climbs up the stairs to the doctor’s bedroom. The doctor grabs it by the tail, which comes off. While the monkey trashes the bedroom, the doctor is attempting to tame the tail, which has developed a life of its own. The...
Topics: GenX, Georges Méliès, Comedy
A comedic short from director Georges Méliès. Country: France Release Date: 13 February 1904 (USA) France (1903) Also Known As (AKA) Un peu de feu s.v.p. France (original title) Every Man His Own Cigar Lighter USA Nieco ognia prosze Poland
Topics: Gen X, Georges Méliès, Short Film, Silent Film, Comedy
Les cartes vivantes Also known as The Living Playing Cards in the USA (1905) French B&W : Short film Directed by Georges Méliès A bearded magician holds up a large playing card and makes it larger. He tears up a card of a queen, burns the torn bits, and a life-size Queen of Hearts card appears; then, it becomes alive. The magician puts her back into the card. The same thing happens with the King of Clubs: the card becomes alive. The king removes his costume, and there's something very...
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Topics: Gen X, Georges Méliès, Short Film, Silent Film, Drama, Fantasy
1896 Georges Méliès Le Château Hantée (The Haunted Castle) Le Château Hantée, 1897, 0m44s Star Film Catalogue No. 96 http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1213033/ A man defies warnings from his friend and prepares to spend the light in a haunted castle. He sits nonchalantly down in a chair - which vanishes and reappears on the other side of the room, causing him to fall to the ground. He gets up, looks around indignantly, walks over to the chair, reaches out to move it back, but is alarmed by the...
( 2 reviews )
Topics: Gen X, Georges Méliès, Short Film, Silent Film, Fantasy, Horror
A human skeleton is placed upon a table by an attendant. When the attendant leaves the room the skeleton begins kicking his legs and throwing his arms about and suddenly turns into a magician. The magician produces an egg, performing several sleight-of-hand tricks, and places it upon the table with the small end downward. He then crudely draws a human face upon the shell, and the egg immediately begins growing larger and larger until it reaches the size of a normal head. The form of the egg...
Topics: Gen X, Georges Méliès, Short Film, Silent Film, Fantasy
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